M HKA Ensembles

Leaflet, 13,5 x 19,3 cl.

The 1958 Brussels Universal and International Exhibition, also known as Expo 58, was the first international exhibition that was held after World War II under the motto 'Bilan du monde pour un monde plus humain' (‘Balance sheet for a more human world’). It was conceived as a celebration of peaceful coexistence in the age of great scientific progress, embodied by the gigantic structure of the Atomium. Along with the general futuristic and technological spirit, the Expo was also rich with cultural events. A big exhibition titled 50 ans d’art moderne (Fifty Years of Modern Art) was organised by a Belgian Executive Committee together with a Committee of International Experts. The exhibition can be considered one of the precursors of 'global' art exhibitions. The number of countries (thirty-six) represented in Brussels exceeded that of significant exhibitions of the time such as documenta in Kassel and the Venice Biennale. Having presented established masterpieces together with artworks of diverse background and styles, including a selection of Socialist Realist paintings, it extended beyond the Eurocentric perspective on the history of modern art.